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Pre-War Manga gets new English translation from Breakdown Press

By John Freeman on September 1, 2023

Easygoing Daddy by Asō Yutaka (“Nonki na Tosan”)

Hineko, Their Only Child by Nagasaki Batten

Breakdown Press have launched a series of pamphlets focussed on manga from the pre-war period.

Scholar, and Eisner Award-winning author of Comics; The Origins of Manga, Eike Exner explores the beginnings of Japanese comics with two of the first “audiovisual” comic strips from 1920s, edited and retranslated for the first time since 1924.

Presented in this volume are Easygoing Daddy by Asō Yutaka (“Nonki na Tosan”) and Hineko, Their Only Child by Nagasaki Batten, and a short, contextual essay by Eike Exner.

*A panel from the translated Easygoing Daddy*

A panel from the translated Hineko, Their Only Child — *A panel from the translated Easygoing Daddy*

Asō Yutaka was a pioneer of Japanese comics. Lambiek notes he created “Easygoing Daddy” shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1923. The strip was the first serial multi-panel cartoon to appear in a Japanese newspaper, and it appeared in The Hochi Shimbun for over 600 episodes.

Born in Tokyo, Nagasaki Batten trained under Kitazawa Rakuten. In 1924 found a position as “manga journalist” for Jiji Shinpo, founded by Fukuzawa Yukichi, and produced manga series aimed at children.

Pre-War Manga is only be available from Breakdown Press direct, through mail order or exhibitions and shows.

• You can pre-order this A5, 60-page, riso printed, saddle-stitch softcover direct from Breakdown Press for £15 here

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.